Looking for Answers about Water Bottle LCA Report?

You can receive a copy of the full 52 page ISO-certified LCA report by contacting Rubbermaid consumer service by filling out the online contact form (to find the online contact form scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Contact Information." Then select "General Questions" in the Online Shopping Questions box). Please indicate in the inquiry that you would like to see the 2012 Water Bottles Lifecycle Assessment Report.

Overall the results indicate that the Polypropylene and TRITAN™ water bottles have lower environmental impact across a wide range of categories when compared to Aluminum bottles.

What about vs. stainless steel? Polypropylene bottles have lower environmental impacts than Stainless Steel in 1/3 of the categories. In the remaining categories, polypropylene and stainless steel bottles performed the same (there was no statistically significant difference in performance).

Rubbermaid continually looks to meet consumer expectations through launching innovative products in the marketplace. These findings will continue to guide our innovation in bottles as we look to improve the consumer experience and meet consumer expectations with regard to environmental impact. This study validated our strategy of making only dishwasher-safe bottles, and, as a result, we are strongly committed to this strategy as we go forward.

The LCA was a cradle to grave assessment, examining the following factors:

1. Extraction/processing of raw material inputs and manufacture of components: The assessment looked at all material inputs, along with the energy it took to obtain them. It also looked at the transportation of materials to supplier operations.

2. Bottle manufacturing and packaging production: For steel and aluminum bottles, the assessment was completed by dismantling each product, identifying materials, and weighting each component. Data relating to the transportation to the manufacturing facility of raw materials, component inputs, and packaging were also included.

3. Retail: The study assessed the average distribution distance from each production facility to a retail store for the North American markets.

4. Use: The study assumed use patterns of twice a week (bottles are filled and washed two times a week) for three years. Data for water, detergent and heating in a residential water heater for hand washing were also included.

5. End of life management: The study used published sources for landfilling, incineration and recycling of bottle material in North American markets.

6. Electricity Production: The study estimated electricity use for all processes in North America using an average North American grid mix from Ecoinvent database. When electricity data for specific countries were not present in Ecoinvent the process was modeled using electricity mix data from the International Energy Agency.

The LCA study showed that Rubbermaid has an opportunity to look for alternative, non-fossil based sources of energy for bottle manufacturing. As Rubbermaid evaluates its manufacturing resources and opportunities, the company will continue to take these recommendations into consideration.

One of the study’s most interesting findings was the strong impact of washing methods. The highest environmental impact category in the entire study turned out to be whether consumers washed their bottles in a dishwasher or hand washed (which uses considerably more energy). This interesting fact illustrates the importance the user’s own actions can have on the environmental impact of water bottles (and similar products), and has given Rubbermaid an opportunity to help educate consumers about making the best choices when using Rubbermaid products.

We recommend washing your water bottle after each use. The LCA study used the limited available use data that showed water bottles are typically washed twice a week. This data was used to reach these conclusions.

Unfortunately, this study did not cover the scenario above and we do not have any available data to answer it. It is always more environmentally friendly to run a full dishwasher over a partial dishwasher.

Plastic containing BPA has the #7 in the recycling triangle with the PC symbol underneath it.